On Saturday, Nov. 22, at Mitchell Hall, the University of Wisconsin La-Crosse celebrated Greg Lonning Day in honor of the former UWL wrestling head coach who passed away in March of 2022. The event featured UWL women’s basketball and men’s wrestling competing against Luther College simultaneously in the same gymnasium, providing a unique spectacle for fans. The event coincided with the implementation of a new UWL student-led program, the Maroon Platoon.
The Maroon Platoon serves to unite and invigorate UWL students by supporting university sports teams and providing unique giveaways. After the game, The Racquet Press was able to connect with a few members of the Maroon Platoon.
“I would basically call it a UWL student section, or UWL fan club…it’s about getting like-minded people that love and support the Eagles together and cheering them on. We also have different giveaways we might hand out at games, whether it’s T-shirts, bandanas or sunglasses,” said fourth-year student Alec Wall.
Aside from cultivating a group of like-minded Eagles fans, the Maroon Platoon has its sights set on connecting students and student athletes. The goal of these connections is to strengthen campus community and foster new relationships among students.
“I feel like a lot of the time, student athletes can feel kind of separate from the student and there isn’t necessarily a lot of mixing. But it’s always fun to meet new people and to have people rooting for you. I think it’s equally important for the student athlete to feel appreciated and supported by the students and the students to feel appreciated by the athletes,” commented third-year gymnast Lucy Warren after the game.
Another goal of the Maroon Platoon is to establish new fan traditions. The student section debuted their new fan anthem “Turn Down for What” by DJ Snake and Lil John, which will be played at all future UWL athletic events.
“We want to have some fun and new traditions, so today we tried out the song at the beginning of the basketball game. We want traditions to add to the culture and things that the fans can look forward to,” said Warren.
Apart from making new traditions, fans who make up the Maroon Platoon are focused on creating an atmosphere closer to bigger schools. Throughout the basketball game, the fan club was heard starting chants such as “de-fence” and “here we go Eagles” all in support of the athletes on the court.
“The chants have been creating a student section-like atmosphere that’s like a lot of other big schools where students can get rowdy,” said third-year student Tyler Hartman.
This student participation helped create a home-court advantage that set itself apart from crowd environments of the past. Fourth-year swim and dive athlete Caleb Jondle commented on the noted differences.
“I feel like in past years, home and away games weren’t any different for the other team because it’s kind of quiet, so we’re actually trying to give them a home court advantage with a little bit of heckling for the other team and support for UWL too.”
This advantage came into fruition as the women’s basketball team was coming back from a Luther College lead. When the Eagles tied up the game 43-43 the packed UWL crowd ignited, and the Maroon Platoon was leading the cheering charge. From that point on, every three-pointer was followed by the student section leaping into the air and the exact fan environment that the program has been trying to cultivate.
“Tonight, I thought it was amazing, especially with women’s basketball and wrestling going on. The basketball game was close in the first half, and the crowd was into everything, so I thought we did a great job and it was really cool to see it come to fruition,” said Wall.
Students can stay updated on the Maroon Platoon by using a QR code found around campus that enables them to sign up for an email list. This newsletter keeps fans updated on everything Maroon Platoon related.
“We have a QR code that all you do is put in your email, and once a week you’ll receive an email to let you know what the theme is, when the home games are, and what the free giveaway is,” explained Wall.
More info on the new student section can be found on the Maroon Platoon linktree.
